plan and fulfill your initiatives

Menu

Body, Mind, Spirit and Nature

Your Body, Mind, spirit and Nature

Choice is at the root of lifestyle imbalance, chronic disease or good health. The interwoven relationship of our body, mind, and spirit with our stresses, emotions and beliefs determines our choices. Because over one half of Americans suffer from chronic disease, we’re suffering from bad choices. The financial burdens on individuals, families, companies, the health care system and the country feels criminal. It doesn’t have to be this way. Imagine for a moment what else we could create, experience and do with that whopping investment. We can choose differently.

Based on studies that show a view of nature speeds healing the healthcare industry is responding. Consequently, new patient rooms include mandatory exterior windows, interior art reflects the local environment, planted roof tops, designated green zones and therapeutic garden spaces are a priority. Nature connected environments and activities are supporting recovery. Veterans are benefiting from this wisdom too. All across the country numerous training and farming programs specifically for veterans are flourishing. Disabled Airforce Veteran John Mahshie, founder of Veterans Healing Farm leads the way. Last year the farm donated over 8,000 pounds of fresh produce to the veterans community in Asheville NC. Once a week, outside the VA hospital the Veteran’s Healing Farm gives away nutrient dense food for the body, mind and spirit. Donate to Veteran’s Healing Farm here.

Sensory perceptions and activities in the natural world support our positive feelings and emotions. Therefore, when compounded through repetition, these positive activities stimulate profound and transformational experiences. In fact, positive experiences in Nature reduce stress, stir positive physiological responses and are preventative. Making the choice to connect your environments and lifestyle to the natural world is intelligent.

The Future

Consider Apple Inc.’s new futuristic campus design, where state of the art high-tech and a generous flourish of health enhancing features, bring nature into the work environment. Circular construction with soaring windows, sustainably sourced materials, energy, resource and waste conservation technologies, and fitness amenities meld in a natural light oasis connected to a forest. Certainly, having a horticulturist on staff for a corporate campus is exciting.

Yet sadly, nature-disconnection remains rampant and will continue in countless workplaces and living spaces. These leftover designs are from the paradigm that views humans as machines rather than biological wonders. However, nature is nature. We can’t subdue and fight the natural world without doing the same to ourselves. When nature disconnection is intractable in our environment the best strategy is lifestyle adaptation. We can get ahead of the game by finding places, spaces and times to actively engage with the natural world.

For the purpose of making positive connections and moving forward target your sources of nature-disconnected stress for change:

Go outside and make Nature reconnection one of your mind, body and spirit practices. Like meditation and yoga the balancing benefits are plentiful. This practice changes the way you think about yourself and the natural world. That’s fortifying.

Finally, humans connect to each other and Nature through our many senses. And, this Memorial Day my senses of connection, appreciation and gratitude are filled with loving thoughts for our fallen freedom fighters and surviving veterans that make this blessed moment possible.